Parliament Office

Biography

Minister Nash was first elected to the Senate for the NSW Nationals at the 2004 Federal Election, and was re-elected in 2010.

Senator Nash was appointed Minister for Regional Communications and Regional Development in February 2016. This is in addition to her existing appointment as Minister for Rural Health in September 2015. Prior to this, she was Assistant Minister for Health and has previously held a range of Parliamentary
and Senate Committee positions.

In 2007 she was appointed Party Whip and in 2008, was elected Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate. Also in 2008, Minister Nash was appointed as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources and Conservation, and in 2010 became Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education.

In her role as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education, Minister Nash led a successful campaign to make the independent youth allowance criteria fair for thousands of students living in inner regional areas.

In the Senate, Senator Nash chaired the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Senate committee from 2008 – 2010, heading up inquiries on issues such as biosecurity, grains, BSE-affected meat and regional education.

As a resident and representative of regional Australia, Minister Nash has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by people living outside metropolitan Australia.

Minister Nash and her husband, David, have two sons, William and Henry, and operate a mixed farm near Young in south west NSW.